Small Doses

Chapter 13: Gulf

I went early to the office Monday morning since I had to pass by Starbucks to buy coffee. Olive though still arrived earlier than me.

"Good morning Olive."

Olive upon seeing me smiled brightly, "Good morning Sir G."

"I brought you some coffee and I also brought  one for your boss." I put two coffees in her desk.

"But he doesn't drink commercialized coffee Sir." I just remembered, he brews his own coffee.

"Yeah, I forgot about that." I tried to get the coffee again, but was interrupted---

"Good morning Sir Mew." Olive said, greeting Mew behind me. I turned to him.

"Good morning Olive," he said. Then he looked at me and slightly bowed his head as greeting.

"Umm, Sir G brought you coffee. I said you don't drink Starbucks, but the effort should count right?"  Olive said chasing her words since Mew just continued walking to his office.

I turned to Olive gritting my teeth, "You didn't have to say that."

Mew turned back to us, "Where's the coffee?"

Olive handed me the coffee so I can give it to Mew. Mew met me halfway to get it. He looked at me and said, "Thank you." Then he went to his office.

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I already had four meetings in the middle of the day. I talked to my section heads and instructed them to schedule social trainings for their subordinates. I had the three employees that came with me prepare the materials. In the afternoon, I had a long meeting with the Human Resources head. I wanted to have a team building scheduled for my team and that required approval from Finance, HR and just as I thought, the CEO.

Before the day ended, I needed to go to Mew's office for his approval.

"Olive, is Mew inside?"

"Yes Sir G, but I don't know if it's a good time to go in."

Just as she said this, her intercom beeped. "Olive come here," that's Mew sounding his usual robotic self.

Olive stood up and went to his office. I waited at her desk. After five minutes or so, she got out looking glum. She said, "You can go in now Sir G."

Then she slumped on her chair.

What's wrong with Mew? I went inside. "Mew."

Mew looked up, "I saw your request for the team building. I already approved it. You can check your email." Then he went back to his computer.

That's it?

Then he looked up again, "Anything else you need?"

"No." I went back the door but turned around again, on second thought, "I am inviting you to join us. That is if you are available."

He looked back up again, "I'll think about it."

"Of course. I will send you the schedule once it's settled."

I went home still thinking about Mew. I usually don't dwell in these type of things. People are the hardest to comprehend, especially if that person is as complex as him. However, I don't know, my thoughts go back to him.

When I heard him sing last Friday, he sounded different. It wasn't the first time I had glimpses of this side of him. He was so good as if he had been doing it for a long time and that he had been singing that for someone, like he experienced it firsthand.

With my thoughts and my beer, I went to the darkroom. The photos I took in the plantation were all hanging lined up in a couple of strings in the middle of the room. I inspected them while drinking my beer. Then I came across his pictures all hung up in one string. I see him looking at the horizon in one picture, then turning to look at me in another, then I see him starting to form a smile, then it gets bigger in another until he gets closer to the camera.I stared at his face for a long time. His eyes look stunning and expressive. I want to see this Mew again, smiling, looking at me.

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Two weeks after, the team is on a bus going at the outskirts of the city for a team building. The venue chosen by the section heads is close to the mountain and the team building organizers has a lot of physical activities prepared. After the venue has been finalized last week, I told Mew right away. He didn't confirm if he will attend but when I didn't see him this morning in the meeting place, I assumed he decided not to come. I also tried to invite Olive, but she told me with a pout that she has important things to do in the office.

At the two weeks leading to this day, I seldom saw Mew, those moments being  when I submitted the pictures I took in the pineapple plantation and the scheduled meeting for the heads. He does not micro manage his company. All the heads from different departments were really carefully chosen and screened. He would listen attentively in meetings and ask a lot of questions, he sometimes even sarcastically replies to stupid questions, but that's the extent he will go. He lets his heads be. He would even say sometimes that if he starts meddling in our affairs, that means we are not needed anymore. So his heads, including me, does not want any escalation reaching him.

After an hour, we arrived at what looks to me is a boot camp. Fifty employees went down excitedly. I went ahead to my room as well. I am the only one with no room mate. I specifically asked to be separated since I plan to rest earlier than everybody.

"Sales and Marketing Team, get ready and proceed to the assembly hall. We will be starting in 30 minutes." I hear someone with a megaphone say outside.

I went out with ten minutes to spare. The employees have already gathered when I arrived. I stayed at the side of the hall when someone tugged at the sleeves on my button down shirt. I looked on my left to see Olive smiling.

"Hey, how did you come here?" I said so happy to see her considering the pout she gave me when she said she can't come.

"I came with my father and Sir Mew. We've been here since last night."

"Mew's already here?"

"Yup, he was the one who insisted we should come the night before so we didn't have to wake up early."

I looked around, "Where is he then?"

"He might still be sleeping Sir G, he still has one virtual meeting left when we arrived here."

As she was saying this, I see Mew from afar walking towards us. He is wearing sunglasses, just a white tee, distressed jeans and sneakers. Another side of Mew I am just seeing for the first time. I looked back up to his neck and I see the sea-shell necklace I gave him nestled there.

"Hi Sir Mew. I didn't think you'd wake up this early."

"I should join the team too." Mew said this while acknowledging me.

"It's about to start," I said this just so I get to contribute in this conversation. I wanted Mew and I to reach the level of friendship we had before when we were in Weeds.

"Hey Sir Mew, your necklace looks familiar." Olive said while showing the sea-shell necklace I gave her too.

Just then, the three employees that came with me to work for this company a.k.a. the three musketeers, which is what I call them now, approached us too.

"Good morning Boss, they said in unison and looked at me and Mew."

"Hey, we all have the same necklaces," Olive just had to point this out.

I looked at Mew and regretted it. He excused himself, turned around, then I saw him snap the necklace and throw it in the bushes while he walked away from us.